Montana property owners saw on average a 20% hike on their tax bills last year and the Department of Revenue projects property taxes could again rise for residents by about 11% this year. Governor Greg Gianforte created a task force to look at the rising rates ahead of the session and Montana lawmakers are considering several ideas that it put forward. Gianforte says he’ll consider any proposal that reaches his desk.
Recently fired federal workers say Montanans will notice worse conditions when they go out to recreate this summer as National Park trails won’t be cleared and the tourism business in small rural towns will be affected by less access. At least 360 employees in Montana have been fired by the Trump administration. The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest alone has had to fire 38 employees and 12 people on the Rocky Mountain Ranger District were let go.
Two weeks ago a motion was passed to transfer the investigation into former Senate President Jason Ellsworth from the Senate Ethics Committee to the Department of Justice. Now a letter addressed to Senate President Regier Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen says the Montana Constitution confers exclusive authority to the Legislature for enforcing ethical proceedings against legislators and the Department of Justice lacks that jurisdiction.
House Bill 320 was defeated in the Montana House of Representatives Wednesday. It would have given state revenue to private schools through tax credits. A legislative analysis estimated the plan was projected to cost the state nearly $12 million each year by 2029. It would have given up to $200,000 each year in tax breaks for corporations or private donors in return for payments made to private schools.
The 2025 fire management plan for Glacier National Park will incorporate prescribed burning and other forest treatments into the park’s ongoing efforts to prevent wildfires. Under the new plan crews will also undertake preventative measures in some areas of the park which have been exposed to similar treatments before. The burns are expected to benefit vegetation soil health and cultural resources. The National Park Service is accepting public comments on the proposed plan and environmental assessment through March 12th. The final plan will likely go into effect in early June.
The Montana Senate voted in favor of a bill Wednesday that would close a loophole at the Montana Lottery that was slipped into legislation two years ago that allowed it to award a no-bid contract to its largest vendor just as that vendor’s contract renewal was coming up. Senate Bill 232 needs a third procedural vote before its transmitted to the House for further consideration.
The Hamilton School Board has unanimously passed a resolution to ask voters for $49 million to design and renovate the Westview property where the University of Montana Bitterroot campus is as the new location for the middle school. The resolution will appear on the upcoming May 6th ballot and if approved will increase property taxes.
Senate Bill 271 moving through the Montana legislature would permit colleges or universities in the state to compensate student-athletes for use of their name image or likeness. It passed the second reading of the Montana Senate Tuesday and the third reading Wednesday. It will now move to the House.
Two recent studies from the University of Montana reveal that increasing wildfires and rising temperatures in the western U.S. are challenging the capacity for reforestation. The studies indicate severe fires create vast areas needing reforestation while warming temperatures make it difficult for seedlings to survive.
Wednesday Rocky Vista University medical students learned about animal bites and stings in Billings at ZooMontana. Rather than getting the information from a textbook the osteopathic medicine students looked at different animals up close and observed their behavior. They are taking a three-day elective course about wilderness medicine.
